How to Edit DNS Server Settings on Windows Server

Managing a Domain Name System (DNS) server is a critical task for system administrators to ensure smooth network operations. Whether you’re setting up a new server or maintaining an existing infrastructure, knowing how to Edit Dns Server settings is essential. This guide will walk you through the process of configuring and modifying your DNS server on Windows Server, ensuring your system is optimally set up for performance and reliability.

Before diving into the configuration, let’s ensure you meet the necessary prerequisites:

Prerequisites for Editing DNS Server Settings

To effectively edit your DNS server settings, you need to have the following in place:

Windows Server: You should be running a supported version of Windows Server such as Windows Server 2025, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019, or Windows Server 2016.
Static IP Address: Your server should be configured with a static IP address. This is crucial for DNS servers as their address needs to be stable for clients to reliably find them.
Administrative Privileges: You must be logged in with an account that is a member of the Administrators group or has equivalent permissions. This is necessary to make changes to server configurations.

With these prerequisites in place, you are ready to start editing your DNS server settings. Windows Server provides flexible ways to manage these settings, both through graphical user interface (GUI) and command-line tools like PowerShell. Let’s explore both methods.

Step-by-Step Guide to Edit DNS Server Settings

You can edit various aspects of your DNS server configuration, including the interfaces it listens on, root hints for resolving external queries, and forwarders to direct queries to other DNS servers. Below are detailed steps for each configuration, using both PowerShell and DNS Manager.

Method 1: Using PowerShell to Edit DNS Server Settings

PowerShell offers a powerful and efficient way to manage your DNS server settings. It’s particularly useful for automation and scripting.

Configure Interfaces using PowerShell

By default, a DNS server listens for requests on all available IP addresses of the server. You might want to specify particular interfaces for security or network segmentation.

Open PowerShell as Administrator: Right-click on the Start button and select “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” or “Windows Terminal (Admin)”.
Identify Your IP Addresses: Use the Get-NetIPAddress cmdlet to list all IP addresses configured on your server. Note down the IP address you want your DNS server to use.
```
Get-NetIPAddress | fl IPAddress,InterfaceAlias
```
Configure Listening IP Address: Use the Set-DNSServerSetting cmdlet to specify the IP address the DNS server should listen on. Replace <ip_address> with the IP address you noted earlier.
```
$DnsServerSettings = Get-DnsServerSetting -ALL
$DnsServerSettings.ListeningIpAddress = @("<ip_address>")
Set-DnsServerSetting $DnsServerSettings
```

Configure Root Hints using PowerShell

Root hints are essential for a DNS server to resolve queries for domains outside of its authoritative zones. They point to the root DNS servers on the internet.

Open PowerShell as Administrator: Ensure you have an elevated PowerShell session.
View Current Root Hints: Use Get-DnsServerRootHint to see the current list of root hint servers.
```
Get-DnsServerRootHint
```
Update a Root Hint Server: If you need to modify a root hint server’s IP address, first identify the server you want to edit and then use Set-DnsServerRootHint. Replace <root_hint_name_server> with the name server you wish to update and <ip_address> with the new IP address.
```
$RootHintServer = (Get-DnsServerRootHint | Where-Object {$_.NameServer.RecordData.NameServer -match "<root_hint_name_server>"} )
$RootHintServer.IPAddress[0].RecordData.Ipv4address = "<ip_address>"
Set-DnsServerRootHint $RootHintServer
```
Verify Changes: Run Get-DnsServerRootHint again to confirm your changes.

Configure Forwarders using PowerShell

Forwarders allow your DNS server to send queries it cannot resolve locally to another DNS server. This is useful for internal networks that rely on an upstream DNS server or for improved resolution speed.

Open PowerShell as Administrator: Launch PowerShell with administrative privileges.
Set DNS Forwarders: Use the Set-DnsServerForwarder cmdlet to configure forwarders. Replace <ip_forwarder_1> and <ip_forwarder_2> with the IP addresses of your chosen forwarder DNS servers.
```
$Forwarders = "<ip_forwarder_1>","<ip_forwarder_2>"
Set-DnsServerForwarder -IPAddress $Forwarders
```

Method 2: Using DNS Manager to Edit DNS Server Settings

DNS Manager provides a graphical interface for managing your DNS server, making it intuitive for administrators who prefer a visual approach.

Configure Interfaces using DNS Manager

Open DNS Manager: From the Windows desktop, open the Start menu, go to Windows Administrative Tools, and select DNS.
Access Server Properties: In DNS Manager, right-click on your DNS server and select Properties.

The image shows the DNS Manager console with the server properties option highlighted.
Configure IP Addresses: In the server properties window, go to the Interfaces tab. Choose Only the following IP addresses to specify which IP addresses the DNS server will use. Select the desired IP addresses and click OK.

The image shows the Interfaces tab in DNS Server Properties, allowing selection of specific IP addresses.

Configure Root Hints using DNS Manager

Open DNS Manager and Server Properties: Follow steps 1 and 2 from the previous section to open the DNS server properties in DNS Manager.
Navigate to Root Hints: Select the Root Hints tab.

The image displays the Root Hints tab within DNS Server Properties, listing root DNS servers.
Edit Root Hints: To edit an existing root hint, select it and click Edit. You can modify the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) and IP address. Click Resolve to verify the IP address after entering the FQDN. Click OK to save changes.

Configure Forwarders using DNS Manager

Open DNS Manager and Server Properties: Access the DNS server properties as described earlier.
Go to Forwarders Tab: Select the Forwarders tab.

The image showcases the Forwarders tab in DNS Server Properties, used for configuring DNS forwarders.
Add Forwarders: To add a forwarder, type the IP address of the DNS server in the IP address of forwarder list and press Enter. Repeat for each forwarder you want to add. Click OK or Apply to save your configuration.

Removing the DNS Server Role

While the focus is on editing, it’s also important to know how to remove the DNS Server role if needed.

Using PowerShell to Remove DNS Server Role

Open PowerShell as Administrator: Launch PowerShell with admin rights.
Uninstall DNS Server Role: Execute the Uninstall-WindowsFeature cmdlet.
```
Uninstall-WindowsFeature -Name DNS
```

Using Server Manager to Remove DNS Server Role

Open Server Manager: Launch Server Manager from the Start menu.
Remove Roles and Features: Click Manage and then Remove Roles and Features.
Select Server Roles: On the “Remove server roles” page, uncheck the DNS Server role. Follow the prompts to remove the role.
Restart Server: Restart your Windows Server to complete the uninstallation process.

Important Considerations When Editing DNS Server

Impact of Changes: Be aware that changes to DNS server settings can impact network-wide name resolution. Make changes cautiously and during maintenance windows if possible.
Testing: After editing DNS server settings, thoroughly test DNS resolution from various clients to ensure everything is working as expected. Use tools like nslookup or Resolve-DnsName in PowerShell to verify DNS records.
Documentation: Keep a record of all changes made to your DNS server configuration for future reference and troubleshooting.